Elm Street Arts History Room Pays Tribute To Juanita Hughes

Sign up for the Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter!

---

WOODSTOCK, GA -- Elm Street’s Revive the Reeves project has received a $10,000 gift from Preservation Woodstock to establish the Juanita Hughes History Room as part of the transformation of the historic home to become the arts hub of the city.

Juanita Hughes is an author of multiple books, a columnist with the Cherokee Tribune and the retired branch manager of the Woodstock Public Library.

As Woodstock’s official historian, Hughes has helped in the process to create and expand the growing historic collections at the Woodstock Visitor’s Center, formerly located at Dean’s Store on Main Street.

“The idea for the History Room came from (Elm Street board member) Ann Litrel,” said Christopher Brazelton, Elm Street operations manager “As Juanita often says, ‘There are many ways to preserve history, and art is one of them,’ so we thought it appropriate that our art center contain a place to honor our community’s past. Past is prologue, after all.”

Plans for the History Room at the Reeves include a conference room, exhibit space, audio-visual displays, archives pertaining to the city of Woodstock and rotating history programs.

“I was surprised and a little embarrassed that they chose to name the room for me,” Hughes said. “I’m only one of so many people who have worked to preserve Woodstock’s history.”

Jim Drinkard, president of Preservation Woodstock, noted the idea for a history room for the project “had already been developed by others,” but having a room dedicated to Hughes sparked the organization’s interest.

So, over the course of six weeks, the organization raised more than $10,000 towards the cause.

“It is our hope that the room will (not only) properly recognize Juanita in multiple ways, but also provide a place where we can have permanent and rotating exhibits about our history and provide some much needed storage space for our many collected artifacts,” Drinkard added.

More information about the Revive the Reeves Project can be found online. For additional details about Preservation Woodstock, visit its website.

---

Image via Ann Litrel